Revision as of 21:48, 17 February 2019

Mount Hood and the massive Zigzag Canyon from the Zigzag Overlook (Tom Kloster)

• Start point: Timberline Lodge Trailhead
• Ending Point: Timberline Lodge Trailhead
• Trail Log: Trail Log
• Distance: 38.3 miles
• Elevation gain: 9000 feet
• High Point: 7350 feet
• Difficulty: Difficult
• Seasons: Summer and early Fall
• Family Friendly: No
• Backpackable: Yes
• Crowded: crowded at some places

The Forest Service has just finished the new Eliot Branch crossing. This was previously closed after being washed out (observed 2016/10/2)

The hike around Mount Hood is one of the best hikes in the area. You get great views of Mount Hood, and of the surrounding territory including Cascade volcanoes such as Mount Saint Helens, Mount Rainier, Mount Adams, Mount Jefferson, and the Three Sisters. You can see the Coast Range to the west. You can see Portland and the Willamette River. You can see the Columbia River. You can see the desert to the east.

It's really interesting to see how the plants and geology vary as you go as low as 3300' by Ramona Falls through deep forest to barren lava flows as high as 7300' on the east side of the mountain.

Most people take 4 days and 3 nights, beginning and ending at Timberline Lodge, and go clockwise. A number of other alternatives are mentioned below. The detailed description is the same regardless of how you do it. At a few places there are several choices of route which can make the hike a little shorter or longer.

Compared to the "Dilbert World" we're used to, it's refreshing to get into the routine of getting up in the morning, eating, packing up, hiking several stretches with rest stops, finding a place to get water and camp, and repeating. Anyone that has the opportunity should do this hike at least once. You might like it so much that you want to try a longer trip such as the trail around the Three Sisters, the Wonderland Trail around Mount Rainier, or thru-hiking the Pacific Crest Trail.

Description

As usual, mileages can differ between sources. These mileages are from a GPS track. Sometimes a trail is re-routed which can change mileages. These will at least give you an approximate value. These were updated September 2016.

Start at the top of the parking area to the East of Timberline Lodge at elevation 5900 feet. Go West, below/in front of Timberline Lodge. If you haven't been there, go check it out.

Keep going West, at about the same elevation. You go just above a ski lift that comes from below, and cross the bottom of another ski lift that goes up. Eventually it becomes the Mountaineer Trail. Keep going West and a little up until it joins the Timberline Trail (400) which is also the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT 2000) at elevation 6000 feet and mile 0.8 from the start.

If you don't find the Mountaineer Trail, just go West/up until you find the obvious PCT.

Keep going West on the PCT.

At 1.2 miles, the trail makes a brief descent into rocky Little Zigzag Canyon, an easy, bridgeless crossing. For the next mile, the trail descends into forest, passing the Hidden Lake Trail (no. 779) on the left. There is a campsite (but no drinking water) below the trail just before this junction. There's another campsite (with no drinking water) below the trail in another 0.1 mile.

At mile 1.5 is the junction with the Hidden Lake Trail. It's about 4 miles down to the trailhead.

There's a small campsite below the trail at mile 1.8.

There is a small stream at mile 2.0. It gets to be a trickle late in the season but I've not seen it dry up.

The Timberline Trail then curves across a series of sloping meadows before suddenly reaching Zigzag Overlook, the lip of gaping Zigzag Canyon at 2.3 miles, elevation 5500. The view includes the meadows of Paradise Park, across the canyon, and rugged Mississippi Head, the mesa-like formation at the head of the canyon.

From the Zigzag Overlook, the trail quickly descends a cool, forested slope to the bottom of Zigzag River Crossing at mile 3.4 and 4800 feet elevation. The stream is generally easy to cross without wet feet, but can occasionally present an obstacle during periods of heavy snow melt and rain. Be sure to look upstream for dramatic Zigzag Falls, which often forms snow caves at its base.

From the canyon floor, the trail climbs steadily, crossing a side stream, then reaching a junction with the Paradise Park Loop Trail at 3.8 miles. Turn right here and continue climbing through switchbacks. You could stay on the PCT/Timberline Trail (through forest, only one signed junction go straight, several nice campsites next to Lost Creek) but going through Paradise Park only adds 400' elevation gain and no additional mileage and is well worth it.

On the Paradise Loop Trail, at mile 4.8, 5700 feet elevation is the junction with the Paradise Park Trail and the beginning of the sprawling alpine meadows of Paradise Park. It's 5.5 miles down to the Paradise Park Trailhead near highway 26.

Continue on the Paradise Loop Trail. Cross Lost Creek at the 5.0 mile mark. This is a reliable source of drinking water year-round. A little further are the remains of the Paradise Park shelter in a grove of ancient mountain hemlock. There are a couple campsites here, but better sites are ahead. Inexperienced people are tired from the hike and drop their packs right here, so these sites are often taken.

The route continues to the right here, curving through exceptionally scenic meadows, punctuated by rocky bluffs and Mount Hood towering above. There are also excellent views of the rugged Zigzag Mountain arm of the Mount Hood Wilderness, to the west, and the Salmon-Huckleberry Wilderness, to the southwest.

The trail reaches about 5800 feet elevation in Paradise Park.

Next, the trail crosses another branch of Lost Creek. This is another reliable drinking water stream. There are a number of nice campsites here. You can go straight up at the stream. You can go a little further and then down a trail to the site of an old lookout. You can keep going down to another more sheltered site. A little further on the Paradise Loop Trail is another trail going down to a campsite. A little further is a trail going up—in about 0.1 mile is a huge rock, maybe 20 feet high, with a campsite next to it (very exposed in bad weather). There are two plaques on the rock memorializing two former Forest Service employees.

There are a couple more campsites just below the trail.

The Paradise Loop Trail comes within a few hundred feet of Paradise Branch canyon, before turning downhill in a switchback. If you have the energy and interest, walk through low alpine scrub and meadows to the edge of the canyon for a sweeping view of Mount Hood, Reid Glacier and several waterfalls on the Paradise Branch.

After taking in the view, return to the main trail, and begin a gradual decent back to the Timberline Trail/PCT, reaching a well-marked junction at 6.1 miles. Turn right (northwest). The trail takes a long stretch steeply down.

If you had stayed on the PCT rather than the Paradise Loop trail, there's a nice campsite at Lost Creek at mile 5.0.

At about mile 9.0 the trail gets close to Rushing Water Creek and several campsites off the trail a bit, next to the creek, which is good for drinking water. It's kind of cool here if you have hot weather.

At mile 9.1 the trail crosses the Sandy River. This is one of the more difficult stream crossings around Mount Hood. You have to cross on rocks/logs. There's no bridge. See Tips for Crossing Streams.

In the next mile, up to Ramona Falls, there are maybe a dozen campsites near the trail, explore any side trails you see. Get drinking water from Rushing Water Creek at the Sandy River crossing or at Ramona Falls. There's also a small stream below the trail at about mile 9.4 at a low point of the trail at about 3300 feet elevation.

The trail now goes along the Sandy River stream bed. At mile 9.5 is the junction with the Ramona Falls Trail.

There are three choices here, about the same distance and elevation gain:

1. Go left and along the Sandy River—this is the shortest route—this is the official PCT
2. Go right, then left at Ramona Falls along Ramona Creek—this adds 0.1 mile
3. Go right, then right at Ramona Falls—this adds 0.4 miles—I think this is more scenic.

To do the #1 route, go left and go 1.5 miles to a junction. The Ramona Falls trailhead is left 1.4 miles, we want to go right. In another 0.5 miles is another junction where the #2 route joins from the right.

To do the #2 and #3 routes, go right 0.4 miles to Ramona Falls and another junction. Route #2 goes left 1.6 miles to the junction with route #1.

Routes #1 and #2 cross the Muddy Fork on an improvised crossing, at elevation 2300 feet, then 2.2 miles uphill to a 5 way junction at 4300 feet elevation. To the left is the PCT north and the trail down to Top Spur trailhead 0.5 miles away. To the right is the trail around Bald Mountain. We want to go straight following the signs to Cairn Basin. It's 0.4 miles to where we connect up with route #3.

This all sounds more complicated than it is. Route #1 is the PCT so just follow the PCT markers.

We want to follow route #3. At the junction just after Ramona Falls go right. This is 3500 feet elevation.

At mile 10.6 is the junction with the Yocum Ridge Trail which dead ends about 6 miles up the mpuntain. A great trip for another day.

For the next 4 miles the trail is sometimes taken out by landslides, so you may have to detour the other way.

At mile 12.6, elevation 4100 feet, is a nice campsite with a drinking water stream.

Then, the trail crosses the Muddy Fork. There are several different branches to cross. These can sometimes be difficult.

At mile 14.4, elevation 4350, is a cutoff trail that goes right up and over the ridge where it joins up with routes #1 and #2. We want to go right. A nice detour is to keep going straight around scenic Bald Mountain.

At mile 14.5 is the junction with the McGee Creek Trail which comes in from the left (1.3 miles to the McGee Creek Trailhead). Stay straight.

At about mile 15.6 are several viewpoints that look up to Mount Hood and down into the Sandy River Canyon. From the PCT junction to here is pretty crowded summer weekends. There is a place for a tent just above the trail in the brush next to the first viewpoint. There's another place for a tent right at the high point.

At mile 16.3 is the unmarked junction with the McNeil Point Scramble Trail. You could take this loop for 1.1 miles until it rejoins the Timberline Trail. The first part of the trail up to McNeil Point is very difficult—requires you use your hands a bit. There is a year-round drinking water stream and a number of nice campsites along the way.

At mile 16.8 is the signed junction with the Mazama Trail #625 (previously known as the Cathedral Ridge Trail) which comes up from the left. It's 3.1 miles to the Mazama Trailhead.

A little further is the old McNeil Point Trail, now closed for revegetation. There's a nice campsite. There's a drinking water stream that probably dries up in September.

At mile 17.1 is the signed junction with the McNeil Point Trail. This officially maintained trail is a much easier side path to McNeil Point

At mile 17.3 is a somewhat difficult stream crossing of one branch of Ladd Creek. This is the outflow of the Glisan Glacier above. This stream is too silty to drink out of, but there's another small stream that would be better, right next to the main stream.

In the next several miles, up to Eliot Creek, are several areas burned by the Dollar Lake fire of 2011. There were fingers of fire that burned up to and across the trail. The trail is totally passable. A few trail signs got burned up but they have mostly been replaced by temporary signs. A few campsites have been burned, mainly in Cairn Basin, but there are unburned campsites nearby. Maybe the biggest risk is that trees have been burned, killed, and weakened, so they might fall over on you. But, this is becoming less of a risk because there have been a couple winters to blow over the weakest ones.

At mile 17.4 is the junction with the Eden Park Trail which goes left. You could take this trail, and loop around to the Vista Ridge Trail and then back up to the Timberline Trail taking an extra 0.5 miles, and losing and then regaining 300' of elevation. Eden Park is a very scenic meadow area.

Right after the Eden Park Trail junction is Cairn Basin which goes for about 0.2 miles along the Timberline Trail. There's one of those stone shelters, which could be a life saver in a storm. There are about 6 campsites all along here on both sides. If they're all busy, try taking the trail up past the shelter and you can find a few more campsites.

The trail is at about 5800 feet elevation here.

At the far end of Cairn Basin, at mile 17.7 is another somewhat difficult stream crossing, the other branch of Ladd Creek. It's too silty to drink.

At mile 18.5 is the junction with the Vista Ridge Trail #626. This is the return from the loop through Eden Park. It's 2.7 miles to the Vista Ridge Trailhead.

At mile 18.6 is Wy'East Basin, a scenic alpine meadow. There aren't any good places to camp here. There's a nice drinking water stream. There is an unmarked trail going up to Barrett Spur.

At mile 18.9 is the junction with the Pinnacle Ridge Trail #630. It's 3.4 miles to the Pinnacle Ridge Trailhead.

At mile 19.2, 5800 feet elevation is an unmarked side trail going to the right (up) to Dollar Lake. It's easy to miss this trail. There are usually some cairns to mark it. Dollar Lake is 0.3 miles from the Timberline Trail. There are three established campsites there. They may be full on summer weekends, this is a popular place summer weekends, surprisingly because it's so far from any trailhead. From here, there's a one mile side trip up to Barrett Spur. You can get drinking water from Dollar Lake, but people and animals swim there and there's no inflow or outflow so not the best water. If you keep going up towards Barrett Spur there are some campsites and a drinking water stream.

At mile 19.9 is Elk Cove and the junction with the Elk Cove Trail #631. This is a nice meadow area with great views towards Barrett Spur and Mount Hood. There are about six campsites along the Elk Cove Trail within 0.5 miles of the Timberline Trail. These are in the forest and usually aren't that busy. You can get drinking water from the stream going through Elk Cove.

At mile 20.7 is the difficult crossing of Coe Creek. Elevation here is about 5100 feet.

At about mile 21.6 you cross a fork of Compass Creek, good for drinking water. At about mile 21.8 are a couple campsites and some other flat areas you could camp. This area got burned over by the Dollar Lake fire. The nicest spot is about 200 feet west of the trail, and just out of the burn area, a very faint side trail to it. At about mile 22.1 is another campsite. At mile 22.3 is another fork of Compass Creek for drinking water.

At mile 23.8 is the beginning of the new trail that crosses Eliot, at 6000 feet elevation. This is a really nice trail—dirt/gravel, lots of switchbacks. Nothing like the old unofficial trail.

At mile 24.5 is the Eliot crossing. This is like other stream crossing around Mt Hood—sometimes easy, sometimes very difficult, it depends on the amount of rain recently and the amount of snow melt. September 2016 it wasn't nearly as bad as the more difficult crossings like Newton, White River, Coe, and Sandy. A little further is the low point at 5400 feet elevation.

A good description of several routes across Eliot topic

At mile 25.1 the new trail ends back up at the old trail at 5900 feet elevation.

At mile 25.2 the trail reaches Cloud Cap. Its about 200 feet down to the trailhead and campground. There's a trail from there to Tilly Jane trailhead and campground about 0.6 miles from there. The elevation is about 5800 feet.

At mile 26.2 is the junction with another trail down to Tilly Jane about 1.2 miles away.

At mile 26.4 is the Cooper Spur Shelter.

Continue up the Timberline Trail to mile 27.6 to the Timberline High Point. This is the highest point (7350') of the Timberline Trail. There are a couple streams before the high point until late August, and there's another drinking water stream just after the high point. In September, this stream may only flow in the late afternoon and you may have to dam it up to form a pool and wait for the silt to settle before you can get water. There are a couple ridges that go east from the trail with some flat areas for a tent, but this is extremely exposed and not good in bad weather.

In another 0.2 miles, there's a high area above the trail, which is the highest point of Gnarl Ridge, where you can find a flat area for a few tents. This is a little more sheltered than the Timberline High Point. There are a couple streams.

At about mile 28.2 there's a spring a ways to the East of the trail. This was dry in early September. Maybe if you went downhill there would be a place where there was water.

After a while, the Timberline Trail follows the top of Gnarl Ridge with excellent views. At about mile 29.0, the trail leaves the top of Gnarl Ridge and there's the remains of one of those stone shelters and on the opposite side of the trail are some flat areas that could hold an army of tents.

At mile 30.3 is the junction with the Gnarl Ridge Trail #652 which is 3 miles down to the Hood River Meadows Trailhead.

At mile 31.1 is the difficult crossing of Newton Creek). It's a little hard finding where the trail exits the canyon on the West side. It's pretty much opposite the East side—you don't have to go a long ways upstream or downstream. Look around for a rope or flagging. Just after the crossing are several nice campsites a little off the trail. There's also a small drinking water stream.

We're down to 5400 feet elevation here, and stay at about that elevation across the Mount Hood Meadows area.

At mile 31.4 is the junction with the Newton Creek Trail #646 (3 miles down to the Hood River Meadows Trailhead). Walk a short distance down here for some excellent views south.

At mile 32.6 is a somewhat difficult crossing of the Clark Creek. At mile 33.4 is a nice waterfall at Heather Canyon and a somewhat difficult stream crossing.

Over the next 2.5 miles are a number of beauteous streams and little water falls and several campsites. This is all in the Mount Hood Meadows Ski Area, so you see occasional signs of man, but it's a novelty compared to the wilderness so maybe its okay. You normally see ski areas when they're covered with snow. At least there aren't zillions of people.

At mile 34.7 is the junction with the Umbrella Falls Trail #667. Just before this is a gravel road, the only one you'll see on the entire Timberline Trail. Just before this is Mitchel Creek, the last time you'll find drinking water for a while. After the trail leaves the meadow and enters forest, at the next switchback in about 0.1 mile, there's a spot above the trail that's flat enough to sleep. Neither of these are that great.

Then you go steeply down to the most difficult crossing of the White River Crossing at mile 36.2, 4900 feet elevation. The White River is too silty to drink out of, but the Eastern fork is clear, and if you go up it (north) about 1/4 mile, there are some nice campsites with fire rings. The trail on the West side is about 0.2 miles upstream from the trail on the East side. Between is a route flagged and/or marked with cairns. The exact route varies from year to year.

At mile 37.0 is the junction with the PCT which comes up on the left from Barlow Pass, 4 miles away. Stay right on the Timberline Trail/PCT.

There's a tricky spot at about mile 38, 1/2 mile from the end. The trail leaves a ridge and traverses over to Timberline Lodge. If it's not foggy, you can easily see the lodge, but if you can't see the lodge, it's easy to continue up and miss the trail which is a little indistinct. If you're above 6000 feet you're off the trail. Also, the trees really thin out above 6000 feet. Someone did this and didn't survive.

At mile 38.3 is the end of your trip, back at the Timberline Lodge parking area.

Alternate Trips

The most common trip is 4 days/3 nights clockwise from Timberline Lodge. Given the trailheads and campsites listed below you can cobble together your own trip.

Several trailheads that aren't too far off the Timberline Trail:

• Timberline Lodge Trailhead—about 1/4 mile off the Timberline Trail, the access road is two lane paved, the only place on the Timberline Trail with a restauraunt and other facilities
• Cloud Cap Trailhead—mile 25.2, about 1/2 mile off the Timberline Trail, the access road is about 9 miles of gravel a bit rough at some places
• Top Spur Trailhead—mile 13.7, about 1/2 mile off the Timberline Trail, the access road is about 3 miles of single lane paved and 1.6 miles of fairly good gravel
• Ramona Falls Trailhead—mile 11.0, about 1.4 miles off the PCT, the access road is about a mile of single lane paved potholed, the parking area has a reputation for vandalism

Presuming you do the hike in several days, choosing nice places to camp can make the hike better. These tend to be more exposed—another school of thought says you should camp at sheltered places and experience the exposed scenic areas while you're hiking. A number of campsites:

• Paradise Park—mile 5, alpine meadow with great views, at least a dozen campsites spread along about a mile, year-round drinking water
• Ramona Falls area—mile 10, forested area, Ramona Falls is a scenic destination, at least a dozen campsites in the mile south of the falls including the area next to Lost Creek, drinking water from Lost Creek or Ramona Creek
• Cairn Basin area—mile 17.5, alpine meadow with some forested places, at least a dozen campsites at Cairn Basin and within one mile west, drinking water from McGee Creek one mile south, a creek just south, and the creek at Wy'East Basin
• Elk Cove—mile 19.9, alpine meadow, about six campsites within 1/2 mile of Timberline Trail along the Elk Cove Trail in forested area, drinking water stream just west of the Elk Cove Trail junction
• mile 22.2, two campsites between Coe Creek and Compass Creek in forest right next to trail, drinking water from a tributary of Coe Creek at 5700' about 1/2 mile east of main Coe Creek or from the several branches of Compass Creek
• Cloud Cap Trailhead—mile 25.2, in a forested area, right next to the road, picnic tables, all the sites are taken on the weekend but you could find a place to put your tent, it costs $10, there's a drinking water spigot
• Cooper Spur Shelter—mile 26.4, alpine area with great views, not too many plants, there are some flat areas for tents near the shelter, drinking water from Cloud Cap Trailhead, the Tilly Jane Creek about 1/2 mile below the shelter, or the streams at the Timberline high point
• Timberline High Point—mile 27.6, extremely exposed alpine area not good in bad weather, there are two ridges that go east from the high point with flat spots for tents, and another spot about 1/2 mile south maybe 0.1 mile off the trail at the highest point of Gnarl Ridge, drinking water early in the season from a stream just north of the high point, a stream just south of the high point is probably good all year but maybe only in the late afternoon
• Gnarl Ridge Shelter—mile 29.0, spots for a dozen tents on the other side of the trail, you can go a ways off the trail for privacy, closest drinking water is at the high point or Newton Creek Crossing
• above Mount Hood Meadows—mile 31 to 34, alpine meadow area with some forested areas, there are about a dozen campsites over a 3.5 mile stretch between the Newton Creek Crossing and the Umbrella Falls Trail Junction, get drinking water from a small stream just west of Newton Creek, Mitchel Creek just east of the Umbrella Falls Trail junction, or several streams in between

If you start at a place other than Timberline Lodge, then part way through the hike, you can stop for a bite of real food and/or a drink.

Several possible hikes:

• Start at Timberline Lodge. Go clockwise. Camp at the Ramona Falls area, Cairn Basin area, and at Gnarl Ridge (bringing water from Cloud Cap Trailhead).
• Start at Cloud Cap Trailhead. Go counter clockwise. Get water at McGee Creek and camp at the viewpoint below McNeil Point. Camp the next nights at Paradise Park and just past the Umbrella Falls Trail junction.
• Start at Ramona Falls Trailhead. Go clockwise. Camp at the far end of Cairn Basin, Newton Creek (12 mile day), and Paradise Park (13 mile day).
• Start at Top Spur Trailhead. Go clockwise. Camp at Cloud Cap Trailhead, just past Umbrella Falls Trail, and Paradise Park.
• 5 day hike to prolong the enjoyment. Start at Cloud Cap. Take the McNeil Point Trail and camp somewhere along it. If you're not too tired take a side trip up from here. Camp near Ramona Falls, then Paradise Park. Take a short side trip above Paradise Park. Camp the last night after the Umbrella Falls Trail junction.

Maps

Mount Hood map (Jerry Adams)

Mount Hood map (Jerry Adams)

Mount Hood map (Jerry Adams)

Mount Hood map (Jerry Adams)

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